Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol II).djvu/313

 Ch. 20. The conideration may be either a good, or a valuable one. A good conideration is uch as that of blood, or of natural love and affection, when a man grants an etate to a near relation; being founded in motives of generoity, prudence, and natural duty: a valuable conideration is uch as money, marriage, or the like, which the law eteems an equivalent given for the grant ; and is therefore founded in motives of jutice. Deeds, made upon good conideration only, are conidered as merely voluntary, and are frequently et aide in favour of creditors, and bona fide purchaors.


 * the deed mut be written, or I preume printed; for it may be in any character or any language; but it mut be upon paper, or parchment. For if it be written on tone, board, linen, leather, or the like, it is no deed . Wood or tone may be more durable, and linen les liable to raures; but writing on paper or parchment unites in itelf, more perfectly than any other way, both thoe deirable qualities: for there is nothing ele o durable, and at the ame time o little liable to alteration; nothing o ecure from alteration, that is at the ame time o durable. It mut alo have the regular tamps, impoed on it by the everal tatutes for the increae of the public revenue; ele it cannot be given in evidence. Formerly many conveyances were made by parol, or word of mouth only, without writing; but this giving a handle to a variety of frauds, the tatute 29 Car. II. c. 3. enacts, that no leae or etate in lands, tenements, or hereditaments, (except leaes, not exceeding three years from the making, and whereon the reerved rent is at leat two thirds of the real value) hall be looked upon as of greater force than a leae or etate at will; unles put in writing, and igned by the party granting, or his agent lawfully authorized in writing.

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 * the matter written mut be legally and orderly et forth: that is, there mut be words ufficient to pecify the agreement and bind the parties: which ufficiency mut be left to